Hosted by Qatar University (QU) Debate Club, experts and students gathered at the QU Research Complex on Thursday, February 22nd for a panel discussion and debate about water sustainability in Qatar.

The event is part of the ConoTarsheed initiative, a joint effort of ConocoPhillips and Kahramaa. The ConoTarsheed initiative aims to raise awareness among the various community sectors in the State of Qatar regarding the importance of water sustainability in building a future aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030.

The panel discussed successful initiatives in numerous sectors that have contributed to water sustainability. It also focused on personal responsibility, highlighting the integral role ConoTarsheed plays in raising awareness and sharing accessible information with the local community. Speaking at the panel, Dr. Samer Adham, managing director at the ConocoPhillips’ Global Water Sustainability Center (GWSC), said: “The ConoTarsheed initiative complements our technical programs at GWSC as our research team is developing innovative solutions for energy efficient water desalination. We also operate a Water Visitor Center to promote water conservation among school-aged children, and have educated more than 7000 students to date on the value of water and need for its conservation.”

Also speaking during the seminar were Mrs. Fatima Al-Mesnad, Head (Community Awareness & Development) at Kahramaa’s Conservation and Energy Efficiency Department, Maryam Al Mohammadi, Economic Analyst at Kahramaa’s Conservation and Energy Efficiency Department, Professor Majeda Khraisheh, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at QU, and Eng. Meshal Al Shamari, Director of Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC).

Mrs. Al-Mesnad commented: “A national program for conservation is necessary to fulfill Qatar’s developmental goals. Efficient use of resources is a responsibility we all have to uphold as members of the global community. Inspired by this philosophy, Kahramaa aims to achieve a target of 35 percent reduced consumption of water by 2022.” Professor Khraisheh highlighted the role of academic research in providing innovative solutions which can be adopted by various sectors. Such efforts were also mentioned by Eng. Al Shamari, who spoke about QGBC’s role in raising awareness, deepening understanding, and encouraging implementation of green building practices.

Next, members of the QU Debate Club argued for and against including courses on water sustainability within local educational curricula. Those in favor of including water sustainability in school curricula asserted that education could complement existing laws to reduce excessive consumption even further. Those who argued against such a measure stated that a more holistic culture of sustainability could instead be built up by other institutions. The panel discussion and debate sparked much conversation on social media during and after the event, with #conotarsheed becoming the number one trending topic in Qatar.

ConocoPhillips advances knowledge of sustainability as part of its SPIRIT values of Safety, People, Integrity, Responsibility, Innovation, and Teamwork. Creating a culture of community, research, and collaboration is one of ConocoPhillips’ contributions to promote a sustainable future. Learn more at http://www.conocophillips.qa